No fewer than four leading civil society groups in the country have concluded plans for a nationwide activity to sensitise Nigerian youths to participate more in governance and the political process.
This was made known on Friday in a statement by Prince Rwang Pam Jnr. Spokesperson, Southern And Middle Belt Alliance (SAMBA).
According to the statement, the project will commence in the Southeast with a ‘Nigeria Youth Conference & Debate Tournament’ scheduled for the 23rd – 26th of March 2022 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.
It added that the theme for the Conference is, “Towards Increased Youth Participation in Governance”.
The organisers of the youth conference are, Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN), the Nigeria Citizens Initiative (TNCI), Society for Women Mentoring and Advancement (SWOMAAD), and Southern & Middle Belt Alliance (SAMBA) in collaboration with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Debate Club (NAUDC), a Chapter of the Nigeria Debating Community (NDC).
Pam also stated in the group’s joint statement on behalf of the organisations that the 4-day event would feature debate contests among 400 students from major Nigeria Universities and award of prizes.
“There will also be seminars with guest speakers including politicians, community and religious leaders, captains of industry and the academic community.
“The aim of the conference is to transform our youths from being onlookers at the side-lines of politics to an enlightened and competent group of stakeholders prepared for leadership responsibilities,” the group stated.
“Youth, not oil, will be Nigeria’s greatest assets by 2030”, so the primary aim of this event is to uplift the Nigerian youth from the fringes of leadership to an educated and distinct social demographic of a competent body of young people prepared for leadership.
“We expect at least 1,000 youths from Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, drawn from the 36 States of the federation, to attend the event,” Pam stated.
It stated: “We want the youths to understand that their future is in their hands so they must participate effectively as the country actively seeks to elect a president from the private sector with a proven track record of job and wealth creation.”
